Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Statement of the Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to interactive board games and also to candy/gumball dispensers for providing enjoyment and rewards to the participant(s).
2. Description of Information
The use of board games is known in the prior art, and so is the use of candy dispensers. More specifically, board games and candy dispensers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,750 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,941.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new board game for one or more participants that rewards the participants with a prize (gumball or game ball) which emerges from the game board furniture after they successfully overcome their opponent and complete the game.
In prior art only one person could play and receive a gumball, jawbreaker or toy after inserting a coin into a machine; but he/she could not enjoy the interaction of a competitive game with another person. Also only one player could participate in some games. Several players could participate in other games which contained complicated mazes with a plurality of groves, columns, vertical extensions, barriers, starting spaces and loss of turn spaces. In addition, there were several elements with games but these games did not dispense the game ball to the winner. The elements with which the games were played remained with the game (dice, pins, etc.).
The Interactive Board Game with a Tangible Reward departs from these conventional concepts providing one or more players with an uncomplicated game that is challenging and rewarding, not just by winning the game, but also by dispensing the actual gameball, be it a gumball, jawbreaker or inedible ball (or ball equivalent) to the winner of the game.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of board games, candy and gumball dispensers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new board game construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing an enjoying and challenging/interactive game for more than one player at the same time and will also reward the winner with the game ball used.
The general purpose of the invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new board game apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the board games mentioned heretofore but also incorporates advantages of the standard gumball/game ball machines; plus it provides novel features that result in a new board game which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art board games.
The ball or other tangible body (ball equivalent which is to be moved over the game board) is usually initially put into motion after a coin has been put into an attachment which is affixed to a container filled with gumballs, basketballs, soccer balls, etc. The ball or other object is released onto the game floor after the proper coin has been inserted. The ball then continues in motion under its own inertia following the laws of gravity.
The floorboard is slightly raised in the center to provide equally descending slopes toward each participant""s manipulative instrument. In the provided embodiment of the invention, the board slant, manipulative instruments, game winning holes are shown for two participants. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.
The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Therefore the abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
The participant(s) manually manipulate instruments (sticks, clubs, holders, etc.) to strike, impel, launch or project the game projectile over the playing surface such as a game board, using skill, luck, and dexterity to guide the object into the hole, hoop, area, etc. which is designated as the winning area.
The players have no waiting for one another, do not have to reposition the middle board, nor be concerned about losing game pieces because the game is enclosed.
They do not have to worry about moving a certain number of spaces nor loss of turn areas.
The participants use their instruments also to deflect the game ball to prevent it from going into the goal each is defending. When one of the players succeeds in hitting the game ball over the floorboard, bypassing his/her opponent""s defense, and knocking the game ball into the goal which is usually a hole in the game board, the participant wins the game. The projectile used in the game is then expelled outside the enclosed casing once the object of the game/sport has been attained, thus rewarding the winner.
The housing for the game could be made of a one-piece molded material or constructed of individual parts fastened together as shown in the preferred embodiment. The housing could be made out of any suitable material.
Thus has been outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. There are additional features of the invention that will be described herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new board game and method which has many of the advantages of other board games and candy and gumball dispensers in a novel way which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art board games, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is also the object of the present invention to provide a new board game which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is also the object of the present invention to provide a new board game which is of a durable and reliable construction.